Galax-Arena, a book written by Gillian Rubenstein and first published in 1992, is a science-fiction novel which follows the story of 3 children (Peter, Liane and Joella-the protagonist) as they embark on a whirl-wind journey in the Galax-Arena and on the planet Vexak.
This book tackles some very complex subject matter-themes such as exploitation and global topics such as child-labour taking centre stage. Galax-Arena follows the story of 3 ordinary Australian siblings from a highly dysfunctional family as they are exposed to a web of lies and corruption-meeting some very interesting characters and some very challenging circumstances along the way, causing their childhoods to be cut short as they tackle very adult issues.
The author sheds a relatable light on these issues through the use of a child protagonist. Joella is a thirteen year old girl through who the story is told in the first person, allowing the reader to both easily relate to the characters as well as fully comprehend the emotions that they are feeling.
Although the vast majority of the book is set on another planet, the reader can easily formulate a picture of what it must look like, what it must be, through the descriptive passages that are provided as the book progresses, adding to the understanding of the themes, topics and messages that the book addresses.
It is hard to find a favourite part of the book, the narrative of a whole fantastic, but the siblings’ arrival at the Galax-Arena really stands out to show more me. The way the emotions of grief, loss and despair are portrayed in a very realistic sense, causes you to develop a distinct emotional connection with the characters as they enter their tumultuous time at the Galax-Arena.
The book excels in its relatable approach to something quite out of the ordinary and would be an excellent read for pre-teen/early-teen readers as they themselves are being exposed to the ways of the world. show less
This book tackles some very complex subject matter-themes such as exploitation and global topics such as child-labour taking centre stage. Galax-Arena follows the story of 3 ordinary Australian siblings from a highly dysfunctional family as they are exposed to a web of lies and corruption-meeting some very interesting characters and some very challenging circumstances along the way, causing their childhoods to be cut short as they tackle very adult issues.
The author sheds a relatable light on these issues through the use of a child protagonist. Joella is a thirteen year old girl through who the story is told in the first person, allowing the reader to both easily relate to the characters as well as fully comprehend the emotions that they are feeling.
Although the vast majority of the book is set on another planet, the reader can easily formulate a picture of what it must look like, what it must be, through the descriptive passages that are provided as the book progresses, adding to the understanding of the themes, topics and messages that the book addresses.
It is hard to find a favourite part of the book, the narrative of a whole fantastic, but the siblings’ arrival at the Galax-Arena really stands out to show more me. The way the emotions of grief, loss and despair are portrayed in a very realistic sense, causes you to develop a distinct emotional connection with the characters as they enter their tumultuous time at the Galax-Arena.
The book excels in its relatable approach to something quite out of the ordinary and would be an excellent read for pre-teen/early-teen readers as they themselves are being exposed to the ways of the world. show less